Several people have been arrested and tens of thousands of pounds of copper have been recovered as part of a crackdown by Los Angeles police and personnel against thieves and dishonest recyclers who have sometimes left the city paralyzed and dark in recent years, officials announced at a news conference Tuesday.
Joined by members of the Los Angeles Police Department and Caltrans, City Council Speaker Paul Krekorian announced that 16,000 pounds of copper wire valued at $40,000 were recovered during a recent two-month operation.
“The consequences for Los Angeles taxpayers are much, much greater than that,” he said of the value of the copper. “The cost of repairs to replace that copper wire is estimated to be over half a million dollars already.”
As part of the enforcement campaign, Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said eight East Valley recyclers were cited and arrests were made, but he did not provide details on how many or on what charges. Police also made arrests at other facilities on suspicion of theft, failure to report and receiving stolen property.
“We are aware and have observed that some of our companies are not honest brokers,” Hamilton said, adding that some recyclers in the area have also been purchasing stolen cables from outside the city.
Krekorian's office said at least two people were arrested at a North Hollywood recycler on June 19, followed by more arrests, including a manager, three days later at another North Hollywood recycler.
“We have refocused our efforts on the most egregious individuals and companies we have identified through our tracking system as continually engaging in this illegal activity,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton said the California Department of Transportation once suffered a $150,000 loss from a single individual.
“If you multiply that amount over a year, it can be very expensive for the taxpayer,” Hamilton said.
More arrests are expected, the deputy chief said.
In its last three operations in North Hollywood, the Los Angeles Police Department recovered 1,668 pounds of stolen copper wire, along with hundreds of pounds of aluminum wire and backup batteries for traffic safety systems, it said. In late July, the city announced it had made 82 arrests and recovered 2,000 pounds of wire.
Councilmembers Kevin de León and Traci Park credited the efforts to the city's copper wire task force, a partnership between the Los Angeles Police Department and the Bureau of Street Lighting.
In November, Krekorian He acknowledged that the theft of copper cables had been “too often” considered “a misdemeanor” despite recent spikes that left neighborhoods “darker and more dangerous.”
That day, Krekorian announced that the city would go after “unscrupulous” metal recyclers — the “first part of the problem” — who failed to verify supplier identification or the provenance of materials.
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto eventually sent letters to 600 recyclers throughout the city warning them that they were subject to searches and inspections.
